Sunday, January 30, 2011

The last posting on the review of Transformers Movie 2 Leader Class Optimus Prime is a topic I wanted to do right after getting this figure actually - a comparison with its first movie equivalence (or predecessor) to see how much the toy design had improved. ^^

For your information, the first release was out in 2007, while Movie 2 version was released 2 years after that, totally following the release schedule of their respective movies. Also, the first release I got is from Takara Tomy (Japanese release), while the second one is from Hasbro (U.S. release).

A 2-year gap is enough to almost render the first version totally obsolete in my opinion. ^^;

Comparison of the boxes - the first release has a more fancy curvy design on the side, which is more interesting to see, but can make opening the box somewhat more troublesome I would say. ^^;

2009 versus 2007 ^^

A closer look on the various components:

Crispier details on the head for Movie 2 version (left).

More dynamic silhouette for the chest for Movie 2 version (left).Almost makes its predecessor looks like G1 Optimus Prime there XD

"Wings" on the backpack of the first movie version XD

Still somewhat bulky (toned down as compared to the first movie version), but the design of Movie 2 version (left) is definitely much more loyal to how the back of Prime looks like in the movie.

Top view of the two reveals the more "compact" design of Movie 2 version's body.

A lot slimmer leg for the second movie version, even the wheel seems smaller ^^Slimmer leg makes Prime look so much less bulky.

No more movable fingers for the second movie version. ^^;

Comparison of the sound and light gimmick between the two versions (robot mode).Video clip is from Youtube. Follow this link to the website if you can't see anything.

Moving on to the comparison of Prime in vehicle mode, but before that, a look at the transformation components in general:

Movie 2 version

Movie 1 version

Surprisingly (or maybe not ^^), the vehicle mode of the two versions looks quite similar to each other, definitely more as compared to the robot mode.

All gears for the "Mech Alive" design on the second release version. The wipers on Movie 1 version look like a neat bonus now ^^

Huge differences of the back design. While the back of the truck is the back of the robot for Movie 2 release (left), it's the arms and blaster for the first release.

Overall the same flame pattern on the body of the truck.

The head of the second movie version (right) is a lot better since it doesn't have as many split panels that distort its look.

The wheels of the second movie version (right) are definitely smaller, but with more accurate-looking details and shiny paint scheme as well. ^^

Different placing of the button for the light and sound gimmick.

Comparison of the sound and light gimmick between the two versions (vehicle mode).Video clip is from Youtube. Follow this link to the website if you can't see anything.

Overall, the improvement of the robot mode on the second movie version that I like the most is the less bulky look, which is a way more accurate representation of Prime from the movie. As for the vehicle mode, the reduction of split panels which helps to make the truck seem more complete is what I like the most on the second movie version. This is explained better in Part 4. So, as mentioned earlier on, the second release version definitely beat the first one on most aspects for me. Not just the look and details, the articulation is a huge improvement as well.

The update in design (and awesomeness if you will ^^) is definitely needed for the different movies, especially when there's a 2-year gap between the two. However, I must say that the redesigned look and details are way better than what I could have imagined in the first place really. ^^ The transformation sequence is more complicated than the first movie version, which means tons of more fun as well. ^^

It's even more awesome when it has to be designed with prior consideration for docking with Jetfire. ^^

Updates or redesign for the action figures come much faster for Transformers since a year or two ago I think. Many of the smaller-sized releases for the new characters from the second movie are great designs, for example Voyager Class Megatron and the entire Human Alliance series are very detailed and well articulated. Even for Optimus Prime, the smaller Auto Alliance version released by Takara Tomy last year is extremely loyal to the look from the movie, with extra gimmick too. ^^